LOST: Linux One Stanza Tips

The LOST (GNU/Linux-One-Stanza Tips) downloads are available as datadir format, and the fortune-file format. The links on this page are for downloads of the datadir format database of LOST snippets. The scripts linked below are also specifically for the datadir format only.

The LOST datadir format snippets database:
Download Snippets:

The Whole Collection [LOST #001-750] [ Filesize = 111085 bytes ]

The datadir format scripts:
Download Scripts:

This is the best option to take. Why bother reading ... its a very small download !. Download the whole thing and view all the scripts together. Each of them have a README file as documentation.

[All the scripts together] [ Filesize = 56518 bytes ]

And for those who want to download specific ones only:

rotator [ Filesize = 11603 bytes ]

This is an e-mail sig generator (for mutt/ pine/ elm mailers). This is capable of generating random or specific sigs from the LOST datadir, or from an alternate signature set. Also capable of NIL sig, reserved sig, company disclaimer and GPG/ gnupg ascii-armor sig placement for each mail seperately (depending upon your choice).

gen-sig [ Filesize = 14178 bytes ]

Also a sig generator, less versatile and more generic. Capable of random LOST or sigs from an alternate sig set. Also capable of NIL and reserved sigs. PGP sigs not supported. This is not integrated with any mailer. It merely outputs a sig to a file. The .signature file used by your mailer needs to be symlinked to this file. Can be used with any mailer which supports a signature file.

watch-lost [ Filesize = 3652 bytes ]

This generates signatures at predefined intervals in the background from LOST datadir. Totally non-intrusive. If your .signature file is symlinked to output of this file, the random LOST sig will be sent with every mail.

fortune.clone [ Filesize = 2117 bytes ]

A bsd 'fortune' program mimic which operates from a datadir type of database and not a fortune flat file. This, however, does not need a binary file for execution, and outputs a random LOST (or any other category sig) to STDOUT. This operates on plain ASCII files

gen-lost [ Filesize = 4455 bytes ]

Yet another 'fortune' program mimic, for those who want to use LOSTs for things like random login message, or a web banner. Unlike bsd fortune or fortune.clone (above) it places its output to a specific file and NOT to STDOUT

extras [ Filesize = 18980 bytes ]

extra utilities (handy!). Too many small things to be written here, consisting of format converters, utilities and misc scripts. You may need these.

www [ Filesize = 5737 bytes ]

A few php, perl and shell cgi scripts to enable a random LOST to be displayed on your web page. These are being used on this page itself!

Programs for Microsoft Windows/ DOS mailers:
LOST snippets may be incorporated with Microsoft mailers (both DOS and Windows) as well, once the datadir is copied to the M$ partition. Programs below place their output to a specificed file. You need to point the sig file of your M$ mailer to this output.

xsig [ Filesize = 315968 bytes ]

This is contributory Windows GUI program which will give you an option of placing LOST, OTHERS, nil sig or a reserved sig on your mail.

lostgen.bas [ Filesize = 892 bytes ]

This is a QuickBasic (.bas) file which is capable of generating random LOST signatures only.

lost_vba_macro [ Filesize = 2440 bytes ]

Microsoft Outlook users can use this VBA macro to randomly attach a LOST snippet as a signature to the mails they send.

Note: some of the scripts here are dependent upon the "dialog" and "xmessage" programs for display. The "dialog" program is available with all distros; however, of late, some distros do not ship with the "xmessage" utility from the Xfree86 project. The source code and a static binary is available for download from here in case you don't have it.